Empire Survives Wichita Falls Rally in 66-65 Win
February 28, 2016 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Spokane Empire News Release
Spokane Empire Pounds Wichita Falls Nighthawks Quarterback Charles McCullum
(Spokane Empire, Credit: Zach Edwards Photography)
SPOKANE, Wash. - The Spokane Empire (2-0) defeated the Wichita Falls Nighthawks (0-1) in Week 2 of the 2016 IFL season by a final score of 66-65.
Wichita Falls started off hot and were able to jump out to a 13-6 before Spokane would go on to respond with a 14-point swing in the first quarter. Empire running back Trevor Kennedy recorded a 45-yard touchdown run that would be followed by a safety recorded by the Spokane defensive lineman Toby Jackson. After a 19-yard touchdown pass from Spokane quarterback Charles Dowdell to Justin Helwege, the first quarter would come to a close with the Empire leading 20-13.
The Empire defense would hold the Nighthawks to a 26-yard field goal in the beginning of the second quarter before again recording back-to-back scores. Thanks to defensive line pressure on Wichita Falls quarterback Charles McCullum, Spokane defensive back Robert Brown was able to record his first interception of the season to set up another Kennedy rushing score. Leading 32-16 with just over five minutes remaining in the half, each team would find the end zone once more before the close of the second quarter. A missed field goal by the Nighthawks would leave them trailing 38-23.
After a hot first-half of play by both teams, the third quarter would produce only three total scores. On Spokane's opening drive of the second half quarterback Charles Dowdell would use his legs to beat a defender to the edge of the field and take it down the sideline for a 25-yard score. The Nighthawks would go on to post two unanswered touchdowns after an Empire interception, closing the lead to eight-points with a Spokane on top 45-37.
Spokane would open the fourth quarter with a 34-yard passing score from Dowdell to Hayes to take a 14-point advantage, which they would maintain after trading scores with just over seven minutes left to play. Wichita Falls would then go on to post three unanswered touchdowns to take a 65-58 lead with 1:52 remaining. The Empire would drive the field, score a touchdown, and then elect to go for a two-point conversion which was successful thanks to a swing pass from Dowdell to Kennedy. Spokane led 66-65 with 12 seconds left but a penalty in the bank and good kick return by the Nighthawks set them up on the Empire's five-yard line. Wichita Falls would convert the kick, but an offensive holding penalty would force a re-kick and result in the second attempt being missed wide right and allow the Empire to walk away with their second win of the season.
Images from this story
 Spokane Empire Wide Receiver Justin Helwege Celebrates a Touchdown (Zach Edwards Photography) |
 Spokane Empire Pounds Wichita Falls Nighthawks Quarterback Charles McCullum (Zach Edwards Photography) |
Indoor Football League Stories from February 28, 2016
- Fever Comes up Short against Danger, 47-46 - Tri-Cities Fever
- Empire Survives Wichita Falls Rally in 66-65 Win - Spokane Empire
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